With three weeks remaining, I've been giving the pre-release disaster of the SNES Classic a lot of thought. Up until recently, I've been in the camp that believes that Nintendo could rectify these issues by way of mass production. After thinking it through, I've come up with a better idea:

Why wouldn't Nintendo make the SNES Classic, and any further Classics in the lineup, a MyNintendo Exclusive? Here's what I'm thinking/proposing:

-For a limited time, the SNES would be offered to anybody who is a member who also has a set amount of points (keep it low). You wouldn't even spend the coins, but they would be used as verification that your account is legitimate, and from there you would be able to purchase a Classic. One per customer (for those who want more than one per household, I apologize but it may be a necessary evil). Considering that so many end up in the hands of scalpers who utilize bots (have you checked out eBay? There are already jerks who are boasting about having NINE preorders! That is OBNOXIOUS!). If Nintendo wants this to be a collector's item, then they should TREAT it like a collector's item! Pull it from the market, and make it accessible to the people who genuinely want it!

"Or they could mass market it?" That's an awful idea! Have you played the Sega Flashback, or any of the retro console plug-and-plays? With the exception of the Neo Geo Gold X and the NES Classic (I'm not counting the Rasberry Pi), all of the retro consoles that I've played feel/look/sound/control like cheap garbage! I honestly believe that if Nintendo mass produced the console, keeping them on the market, I highly doubt that they would retain the high quality build. Also, mass production doesn't mean a thing, since scalpers would still manage to snag the majority of them, so long as the demand is there. At this point, I believe that the only way to actually fight against scalpers is by making the console as inaccessible for them as possible.

Unless I'm forgetting something, my idea would work because 1). most people who are desperate to get their hands on the Classic probably have a MyNintendo account AND a decent amount of points, 2). buying a couple of games to earn set amount of points would still be cheaper than buying from a scalper, AND you would have a couple of additional games to boot, 3). gamers/fans would be far more accepting of the SNES Classic as an exclusive that CAN be had than they are with an underpriced, under manufactured collector's item that also happens to be the second hottest toy of the year (behind Switch). In my mind, it would be a win for everyone except for those looking to make a cheap buck.

Well, for starters, I have no idea what MyNintendo even is, so that's not a good sign for this method. Based on your post, I'm assuming it's an online account that all your downloadable Nintendo purchases are tied to. Personally, I'd be really annoyed if my ability to obtain an SNES Classic was dependent on whether I've proven myself a worthy Nintendo devotee on my MyNintendo account. Also, it defeats one of the main points of the SNES Classic release...Nintendo is releasing these retro consoles to revive their brand image, by reminding people why they fell in love with Nintendo back in the day. If, instead, they only release the thing to MyNintendo account holders, then they would be defeating that purpose. They're not targeting the Classic consoles toward loyal Nintendo diehards who gladly buy the Wii U and Switch (i.e., MyNintendo account holders)... instead, they're trying to get it in the hands of non-Switch owners, so that they start liking Nintendo again and buy a Switch. Nintendo fans seem to be missing this point entirely and it's half the reason they can't grasp what Nintendo is doing here.

Personally, I think the best method would be to eliminate online sales. That's what allows scalpers to get 9+ pre-orders. Go old school and only sell at stores, and you'd sell one per customer. If scalpers each get one too, oh well, that's life. I was able to get my pre-order because I walked into a GameStop and did the pre-order...and there was no crazy dash of people there with pitchforks trying to fight me for their pre-order...I was actually the first pre-order within 30 minutes of them opening their pre-order system. But in real life, you can't avoid online sales, because Amazon is too important of a retailer for Nintendo, so Nintendo has to let them sell the system online. So the current system is probably what we're stuck with. The key is producing enough to meet demand.

Lastly, as I've said before, I'll withhold judgment against Nintendo until after the holiday season. As long as most people can get an SNES Classic by Christmas, then they'll have redeemed themselves from the NES Classic fiasco in my eyes. I won't judge them on pre-orders.